Tag: UFC 167

(“I guess, just don’t play truth or dare with Rakishi is the main point of my story, Joe.” Photo via MMAPro.)

It appears as if Josh Koscheck has recovered rather quickly from the undisclosed injury that forced him to pull out of his fight with Demian Maia scheduled for UFC 163. In fact, the former welterweight title challenger and “five star guy” according to Ronnie from the Jersey Shore (unconfirmed) has already been booked to face former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger Tyron Woodley at UFC 167.

It’s probably the best news old Fluffin Top has heard in the better part of a year. After dropping back-to-back fights for the first time in his MMA career, many assumed that Koscheck’s pairing with the win-streaking Maia was the UFC’s way of putting the TUF 1 alum in a do-or-die situation. While that could still be the case for his fight with Woodley, at least Koscheck has been given a far more winnable matchup (or so it would seem). Are we insinuating that Koscheck faked an injury to duck Maia and get an easier opponent? Yes, that’s exactly what we’re saying.

Woodley has also seen some mixed results since transitioning the UFC back in February. After KO’ing Jay Hieron in his promotional debut at UFC 156, “The Chosen One” (whose nickname doesn’t hold a candle to “The Nsane 1“) was stifled by the ultimate stifler, Jake Shields, at UFC 161. It was a decision that some saw as controversial and most saw as “Oh, I was grabbing a ten dollar hoagie during that one.”

Just like the GSP/Hendro main event, MacDonald vs. Lawler pits an athletically gifted Canadian phenom against an American southpaw with dynamite in his fists. Our prediction: Robbie Lawler knocks out GSP in a short-notice replacement fight after MacDonald and Hendricks are both injured while warming up backstage before the event. We’re actually willing to bet money on that, but you have to give us +150,000 odds. (Alternate prediction: Hendricks misses weight by over 20 pounds.)

MacDonald is riding a five-fight win streak in the Octagon, most recently earning a decision win in a snoozefest against Jake Ellenberger at UFC on FOX 8. Lawler is 2-0 since returning to the UFC as a welterweight, scoring knockouts of Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker.

On the other side of the coin, fellow Brazilian and occasional training partner of Machida, Vitor Belfort, has seen a career resurgence as of late, knocking out Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold in back-to-back contests. And while it’s rare to see a fighter coming off a loss paired against one coming off a win, that’s exactly what Dana White has in mind. The Baldfather recently told Ariel Helwani, who in turn relayed the message on MMA Tonight, that he “loved” the idea of seeing a Machida vs. Belfort co-main event at UFC 167, which goes down in Vegas on November 16th. Here’s the catch: The fight would be held at middleweight.

Given Belfort’s recent refusal to fight anyone (looking at you, Tim) at 185 unless it’s for a title shot, this seems like wishful thinking on White’s part. There’s also the fact that Lyoto has never fought below 205, although he has stated in the past that he would be willing to make the cut for the right fight. On top of all that, Belfort has already called out Chael Sonnen and would stand next to no chance of getting licensed in Vegas with a TRT exemption. So yeah, expect Belfort to shoot this matchup down any. second. now.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has been accused of steroid use more times than any other fighter who’s never failed a drug test. BJ Pennfirst painted him as a cheater in 2009, saying that St. Pierre “doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to steroids and growth hormones and that stuff,” and pointed to his physique as proof. (“He looks like that every day…The rest of us, we get fat, then we train and get skinny and the cycle goes over and over again. He looks the same way all the time. Come on.”)

So for once, St. Pierre is going to beat these jackasses to the punch. In a new interview with Sportsnet’s Joe Ferraro, St. Pierre invited his UFC 167 opponent Johny Hendricks to subscribe to pre-fight drug-testing with him through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), which would provide random, unannounced testing during the eight weeks before their fight. Here’s what St. Pierre had to say:

“I believe the sport has a problem now. When I first started fighting in mixed martial arts, it didn’t have any money. So, now more money got involved, more ways are there to be cheating to take a shortcut and I believe VADA testing I’m up for it and I invite my opponent to do the VADA testing for the championship fight.

St. Pierre is on an 11-fight win streak including eight belt-defenses, and has become known (and often criticized) for his steady, methodical domination of opponents; GSP’s last six fights have gone to five-round decisions. Meanwhile, Hendricks’s six-fight win streak includes Knockout of the Night-winning beatdowns of Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch, and he most recently outpointed Carlos Condit at UFC 158 in March. Hendricks has enough wrestling skills to avoid being ragdolled by St. Pierre for 25 minutes, and enough power in his left hand to end the fight at any moment. Basically, if Hendricks can’t beat Georges St. Pierre, no 170-pounder on Earth can.

At this point, there are no other matches tied to UFC 167, but we’re expecting big things from the UFC’s 20th anniversary show. Another title fight? A Hall of Fame induction? Teila Tuli and Gerard Gordeau as guest commentators? Dare to dream in the comments section.